Sylvania



'J. 0. P. & L. K. RIS'HEL.

(No Model.)

RAILWAY TORPEDO PLACER.

1%. 366,029. Patented July 5, 1887.

Fig.1.

ATTORNEYS.

Rs PholoLNhogr-mpher. Washingm UNITED STATES PATENT ()rricn.

JOHN C. F. RISHEL AND LEANDER K. RISHEL, OF DANVILLE, PENN- SYLVANIA.

RAI L'WAY-TORPEDO PLACER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,029, dated July 5, 1887.

Application vfiled May 9, 1885. Serial No. 164,9?3.

. tach a torpedo to a rail from the rear end of a moving train without stopping or slacking the speed of the train for that purpose.

To this end our invention consists in a certain device for attaching a torpedo to a rail and in an implement for applying the same, constructed and operated as hereinafter de scribed and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of our invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same, and Big. 3 is a transverse vertical section of a railroad-rail with our torpedo attached to it as in use. r

A represents'a railroadrail.

B is a torpedo of any usual form. Such torpedoes are usually in boxes like blackingboxes, about two inches across and one-quarterof an inch thick, containing powder, which is exploded by the crushing effect of a wheel passing over it when attached to the top of a rail. This attaching is usually doneby means of a strip of lead, corresponding in form and position to the spring 0, and it is done by first stopping the train from which the signal is to be set. Then a person gets off the train and places the torpedo on a rail behind the train and pinches the lead strip under the cheeks of the rail to keep the torpedo from beingjarred off. \Vhen not in use, the lead strip is folded backward around the torpedo. As now used, the softness and pliability of lead is a necessity, in order that it may be used as described In place of the pliable lead strip we provide a spring, C,of steel or other suitable material, set in shape, as shown in Fig. 3. The ends D of the spring naturally spring toward the rail.

To apply the torpedo, a suitable implement (No model.)

or holder is necessary, and we have devised the following: E is a hollow shank or socket adapted to fit upon a handle, F, and provided with a fork, G, having hooks H at the end, in which books the ends of the spring 0 may be placed by spreading the ends of the spring apart. J is a presser, shaped to rest upon the torpedo and provided with a shank, K, entering into the socket E, to be acted upon by a spring, L, which pushes the presser outward. M is a shoulder on the shank K,to receive the action of spring L and to prevent the shank from being pushed entirely out of the socket. The spring of the torpedo pushes upward when its ends are separated, and the presser J is provided with the spring L, to hold the torpedo in the fork and hooks.

WVe usually apply a torpedo-holder on each end of the handle, which is long enough to reaeh'the rail with by an operator on the carplatform. Having fixed the torpedo in the holder,the operator, standing on the rear platform of a train, guides the fork to straddle the rail, then making a quick but light thrust downward the torpedo strikes the rail, pushing back the presser-spring and raising the ends of spring 0 out from the retaining-hooks H, leaving the spring 0 to grasp the head of the rail, whereby the torpedo is held in place on the rail,to be exploded by a followingtrain.

Should the signal agreed upon require two strike the torpedo down too hard upon the rail, in order that all possibility of accidental explosion maybe avoided. The spring offers a yielding resistance proportional to the strength of the torpedo-case, so that the latter cannot be dangerously struck when in the .holder.

\Vhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The torpedo-placer, consisting of a staff having a chambered ferrule with branched and notched arms in its lower end, in combination with a rectilinearly-moving plunger stantially asshowrrand descr ibed,for the purarranged within said ferrule and provided pose specified.

with a spiral spring and stop for limiting the The above specification of our invention outward movement of the plunger, substansigned by us in the presence of two subscribr 5 5 tially as described. ing witnesses.

2. The combination of a torpedo a sprin 1 i JOHN G. F. RISHLL. substantially as descubed, attached thereto,a LEANDER RISHEL.

forked holder provided with hooks within the fork, a spring-presser adapted to hold the tor- IO pedo in conjunction with the said hooks, and

' an abutting cushion behind the presser, sub- 

